Author: Jared Serre

Jared Serre covers local business, public safety and breaking news across Local News Now's websites. Originally from Northeast Ohio, he is a graduate of West Virginia University. He previously worked with Law360 before joining LNN in May 2024.

News

Report recommends improvements after Fairfax County firefighter training goes wrong

By Jared Serre
Firefighters use a pressurized water can to take down a fire (photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department)

Last-minute modifications that weren’t properly communicated contributed to the burns sustained by a firefighter during a training exercise last year, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says.

One team of firefighters was not equipped to properly handle two live fires during the Oct. 13, 2024, training at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy, attributable to a lack of communication among training organizers, according to a department report released Friday (Oct. 24).

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Around Town

Exhibition featuring local artists now on display at Springfield Town Center

By Jared Serre
Left to right: Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk with artist Isabella Merlos, Springfield Town Center General Manager Eric Christensen, ArtsFairfax President and CEO Stuart Holt and ArtsFairfax Board Chair Michael Liberman at the mall's art exhibition opening on Oct. 16, 2025 (courtesy ArtsFairfax)

A new art installation has been unveiled at Springfield Town Center.

The gallery wall, which opened last week through a collaboration between the mall and ArtsFairfax, features seven works from a handful of local artists.

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News

FCPD: Hit-and-run victim was alive before being hit by Fairfax police car

By Jared Serre
Body camera footage from the September hit-and-run in Hybla Valley (photo via FCPD)

A Fairfax County police officer remains on restricted duty after striking a hit-and-run victim with his police cruiser last month in Hybla Valley.

Both criminal and administrative investigations continue into the Sept. 24 incident, which may have contributed to the death of a 62-year-old woman, police said in a press conference today (Thursday).

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News

How to vote early for Braddock District supervisor, starting Friday

By Jared Serre
Ken Balbuena, Rachna Sizemore Heizer and Carey Chet Campbell (staff photos by Jared Serre)

Braddock District voters will soon select their next representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Early voting in the race begins tomorrow (Friday), giving residents more than six weeks to cast their ballots before the special election on Dec. 9.

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Around Town

Bunnyman Brewing partners with pizzeria for newly approved Lorton expansion

By Jared Serre
Bunnyman Brewing owners Sam Gray (right) and Eric Barrett stand in front of their Lorton location (courtesy Sam Gray)

Efforts to expand Bunnyman Brewing‘s footprint at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton are officially on the move.

DrinkLocal LLC, which operates Bunnyman Brewing, has received approval for a lease to control a second storefront across from its existing bar, bringing another dining option to the campus.

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Around Town

Empanada restaurant will replace Mochinut in Reston shopping center

By Jared Serre
The forthcoming Empanadas de Mendoza in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Reston storefront is the latest expansion target for a local brand offering Argentinian cuisine.

Empanadas de Mendoza, a stalwart at Fairfax-area farmers markets, is moving into a recently-vacated space in North Point Village Center.

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News

Vienna man charged with unlawfully keeping classified docs

By Jared Serre
The Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

An employee of the U.S. State Department has been accused of unlawfully storing more than 1,000 classified documents at his Vienna home.

Federal prosecutors arrested and charged Ashley J. Tellis earlier this month with one felony count of unlawfully retaining national defense information.

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Fairfax City residents mostly show support for broader gun ban in public hearing

By Jared Serre
A Moms Demand Action member testifies in support of an expanded gun ban at the Fairfax City Council's Oct. 14, 2025 meeting (via City of Fairfax)

Most Fairfax City residents appear to be in favor of efforts by the city council to further restrict the ability to carry firearms around town.

An overwhelming majority of the 12 speakers during a public hearing on Oct. 14 expressed support for a proposed ordinance that would align the city’s gun policy with that of Fairfax County.

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News

Fairfax City police investigate weekend crime spree by clothes-stealing ‘juveniles’

By Jared Serre
A City of Fairfax police vehicle in Old Town Fairfax (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The City of Fairfax Police Department is investigating multiple crimes believed to have been perpetrated by a group of “young adults and juveniles.”

Each of the incidents in question occurred over the past weekend at various different locations, the department announced yesterday (Monday).

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